Mechanism for bending and clinching ends of intermittent binding wires on wirebound containers



Dec. 7, 1965 c, RlKER 3,221,778

MECHANISM FOR BENDING AND CLINGHING ENDS OF INTERM-ITTENT BINDING WIRES 0N WIREBOUND CONTAINERS Filed June 6, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 6/20/1680. RZ/tcr BYZ 2.1 v HT 102N675:

Dec. 7, 1965 c. o. RIKER 3,221,778

MECHANISM FOR BENDING AND CLINCHING ENDS OF INTERMITTENT BINDING WIRES ON WIREBOUND CONTAINERS Filed June 6, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Char/cs OEc'kcr M, M W

1965 c. o. RIKER MECHANISM FOR BENDING AND CLINCHING ENDS OF INTERMIT'IENT BINDING WIRES ON WIREBOUND CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 6, 1963 INVENTOR. Char/cs OEZ/wr BYQU z flTTOE/VEYJI Dec- 7, c o RIKER MECHANISM FOR BENDING AND CLINCHING ENDS OF INTERMITTENT BINDING WIRES ON WIREBOUND CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 6, 1963 INVENTOR Charles flied/(er BYZ J? gig! United States Patent 3 221,778 MECHANISM FUR BENDING AND CLINCIHNG ENDS 0F INTERNH'ITENT BINDING S 0N WIREBOUND CQNTAINERS Charles 0. Riker, Morristown, N.J., assignor to stapling Machines (30., Rockaway, Null, a corporation of Dela- Wfil'e Filed June 6, 1963, Ser. No. 285,957 7 Claims. (Cl. 140-93) This invention relates to wirebound box-making machines and particularly to the combination therewith of specific mechanism which is adapted to bend the end portions of an intermittent binding wire about the edges of the face boards to which the binding wire is attached and embed the wire ends in the under surface of the face boards.

In the manufacturing of box blanks for an open top wirebound box, for example, a box of the general class disclosed in United States patent application Serial No. 218,686, filed August 22, 1962, now abandoned, an intermediate binding wire extending less than the full length of the box blank is supplied intermittently by mechanism of the type disclosed in United States patent application Serial No. 192,889, filed May 7, 1962, now Patent No. 3,123,830. The ends of the shortened intermediate binding wire terminate adjacent the leading and trailing edges of the first and third (or front and rear) sections of the box blank, thus leaving a short end portion of the binding wire projecting beyond the nearest staple driven astride the binding wire. The sharp ends of these Wires proved a hazard to the hands and clothing of persons when handling the box blanks, packing the boxes or handling the packed boxes. According to the present invention, this hazardous condition is eliminated by increasing the overall length of the intermediate binding wire to the extent that its terminating ends extend a short distance beyond the leading and trailing edges of the front and rear side sections of the box blank. This permits the wire ends to be bent around the edges of the face material and clinched against or embedded in the under surface thereof.

The particular embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein consists of several separate units which are designed to perform upon the projecting ends of the intermediate binding wire the sequential operations of bending the projecting end portion of the binding wire around the adjacent edge of the face board and adjacent its under surface and embedding the wire end at least partially in the face board. This substantially eliminates any hazard of damage either to the contents of the container or to persons handling it, as well as adding considerable strength to the central area of the container.

The illustrative units disclosed are adapted to be assembled in alignment with the intermediate binding wire on two machines: a wirebound box-making machine of the general type disclosed in United States Patents No. 2,304,510 and No. 2,482,370, and a loop fastener forming machine of the general type disclosed in United States Patents No. 1,933,031 and No. 2,161,200. In general terms, the mechanism disclosed includes two bending units, one of which is attached to the rear or outfeed side of the wirebound box-making machine and operates upon the end of the intermediate binding wire at the leading edge of the box blank, while the other unit is attached at the infeed or front side of the loop fastener forming machine and operates upon the wire end at the trailing edge of the third or rear side section of the box blank.

Also attached to the latter machine is an additional pair 3 ,22 l ,l 73 Patented Dec. 7, I965 of the wire ends and embed them in the face material.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a wirebound box blank bearing a shortened intermediate binding wire whose ends project beyond the adjacent edges of the face board to provide a suflicient length of wire to be bent downwardly about the edges of the face board and clinched against the under surface thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a wirebound box-making machine with the nearer side frame removed, showing one of the several units of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, which unit is designed to bend the projecting end of the intermediate binding wire about the edge of the face board at the leading end of the box blank.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view, at enlarged scale, of the unit shown in FIGURE 2, illustrating successive stages of such bending operation.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view, at the scale of FIG- URE 3, showing said unit as viewed from the side appearing at the left in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary isometric view of the central portion of the leading edge of the face board of a wirebound box blank, taken on the lines indicated by arrows XX and Y-Y in FIGURE 1, said portion being viewed from the underside to show in broken lines the initial position of the end portion of the intermediate binding wire and in full lines its position after initial bending by the unit of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a loop fastener forming machine, therein the remaining units of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view on a larger scale of the second wire bending unit of the mechanism which is attached to and adjacent the infeed side of the machine of FIGURE 6, showing two successive positions of its bending element in the operation of bending the projecting portion of the trailing end of the intermediate binding wire about the edge of the face board.

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view, at the same scale, showing the unit of FIGURE 7 as viewed from the side which appears at the left in that figure.

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view of another of the several units comprising the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, representing one of the two hammer and anvil combinations which clinch the bent wire ends against and embed them partially in the undersurface of the face boards.

FIGURE 10 is an elevational view, on the same scale, showing the mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 9 as viewed from the side appearing at the left in that figure, and with the hammer and anvil in closed, wire-clinching position.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a portion of a face board similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 5, showing the previously bent Wire end clinched against and partially embedded in the under surface of the face board by the mechanism of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 1 shows the construction of an illustrative composite wirebound box blank of the general type adapted to be operated upon by the mechanism of the present invention. This box blank consists of four sections: front side A, bottom side B, and rear side C, all of conventional construction, with face boards V and cleats X secured thereto adjacent the lateral edges of the box blank, and a divided fourth section comprising two end units D of corrugated fiberboard Y attached to cleats X. The four sections are secured together in foldable relationship by the two outside binding wires E, which are secured adjacent the lateral edges of the box blank by showing assembled 3 staples Z driven astride the binding wires E, through the face boards V and into the cleats X. Also secured to the outer face of only the first three sections A, B, and C is an intermediate binding wire W whose two ends respectively project a short distance beyond the leading edge A of the front side section A and the trailing edge C of the rear side section C, as indicated by broken lines F.

Since the primary object of the present invention is to operate upon these projecting ends of the intermediate binding wire W, it will be understood that all the special mechanism described hereinafter is located above or be neath, and in alignment with the intermediate binding wire W.

In FIGURE 2, the first wire bending unit, generally designated 2, is shown attached to the rear or outfeed side of a wirebound box-making or stapling machine, which is only partially shown in that figure. The bending unit 2, shown in greater detail in FIGURES 3 and 4, is mounted on a horizontally oriented, T-shaped base member 6, which is secured, with vertical adjustability, by a bolt 4 to bracket 8 which is clamped, with lateral adjustability, on an upstanding rail 10 of a crosstie 12 of the machine frame. Approximately at the center of and astride the base member 6 a pair of leg members 14, which are held in spaced relation by a plate member 16, are secured, with vertical adjustability, by bolts 22 and maintained in a vertical position by spaced aligning studs 18 projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the base member 6. Secured at the upper end of each leg member 14 is a head member 20 with its receiving end (its right-hand end as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3) angled downwardly to form a ramp which engages the leading edges of the box blanks and cams the box blanks up onto the horizontal portions of the head members 20, which support them during the wire bending operation.

Pivotally attached at opposite sides of the outer end of the base member 6 by a bolt 30 is a Y-shaped bending member 24 which carries between the upper ends of its two arms a freely rotating roller 26. This bending member 24 is yieldingly maintained in an upright position by a stop stud 31 and a tension spring 32, one end of which is hooked to a stud 34 fastened to the upper face of the head portion of the T-shaped base member 6, while the other end is hooked about a pin 36 extending between the spaced arms of the bending member 24. The upper righthand edges of the arms of the bending member 24, as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3, have arcuate indentations 38 to facilitate rotation of the bending member in a counterclockwise direction by the leading edge A of the box blank as the box blank is conveyed through and out of the box-making machine.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the head members 20 and the bending member 24 are laterally centered relative to the end W of the intermediate binding wire W, so that, as bending member 24 is rotated as indicated by the arrow G in FIGURE 4, its roller 26 moves downwardly against the upper side of the projecting portion of the wire end W of intermediate binding wire W and bends it downwardly about the leading edge of the face board V, as indicated by broken lines H and J in FIGURE 3. This movement of the bending member 24 continues until it reaches the position indicated by broken lines K in FIG URES 2 and 3, at which the lower right-hand faces of its arms engage stop studs 40 projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the base member 6.

As the work continues to move out of the box-making machine, the downwardly bent wire end W as shown at J, is maintained in contact with the roller 26 of bending member 24 by a pair of presser bars 42 adjacently positioned at opposite sides of bending member 24, with their bottom faces engaging the upper surface of the box blank. As shown in FIGURE 2, the upper ends of the upstanding arms 44 of the presser bars 42 are adjustably received in slots in inverted U-shaped blocks 46 and held in fixed position therein by set screws 48 which clamp them against the outer face of a cross-bar 50 of the machine. The spacing of the two presser bars 42 slightly apart at opposite sides of the intermediate binding wire W permits the thin face board V to flex upward slightly between them as the end W of the wire is bent rearwardly and upwardly to a position substantially against the under-surface of the face board V, as indicated by broken lines L in FIGURE 3 and by full lines M in FIGURE 5.

The continuous succession of box blanks formed in the stapling machine partially shown in FIGURE 3 moves therefrom to' the companion loop forming machine, partially shown in FIGURE 6, which is mounted in longitudinal alignment with it, the movement of the box blanks being continuous except for a momentary interruption in the loop forming machine.

As may be seen in FIGURE 6, the lower box blank supporting portion of the second wire bending unit is mounted at the right-hand or infeed end of the loop forming machine upon a supporting framework which includes an elongated vertical leg 52 adjustably attached to the adjacent edge portion of a floor member 54 of the loop fastener machine. To the upper end of the leg 52 is adjustably fastened one end of a horizontally extending rail 56 whose opposite end is adjustably fastened adjacent the lower end of a downwardly projecting leg 58 of an inverted L-shaped bracket 60 which is adjustably supported on a transversely extending angle member 62 supported at the upper ends of legs 53. Mounted on the upper edge of rail 56 is a slotted block 64 which receives in its upper face a stud 66, which is vertically adjusted by means of lock nuts 74, the upper one of which is shown in FIGURE 6. The stud 66 is secured to and projects downwardly from the lower face of a base plate 68 hearing spaced side walls 70 (see FIG URE 8). Mounted on the upper edges of the side walls 70 are the horizontal portions of a pair of support members 72 whose right-hand ends, as viewed in FIGURE 6, are angled downwardly to serve as ramps to cam the box blanks up into the support members 72. The vertical leg 52 and the bracket 60 are so located on their respective supporting members as to align the horizontal rail 56 with the intermediate binding wire W, and thus locate the members 72 a short distance from the opposite sides of the wire.

As may also be seen in FIGURE 6, the table 76 of the loop fastener machine adjustably supports at its opposite front or right-hand corners a pair of upstanding support assemblies 78, which support the ends of a horizontally extending, hollow, rectangular bar 80. The flanged end of an elongated cantilever member 82 is adjustably secured to the bar by clamp plates 84 and bolts 86. The cantilever member 82 extends forwardly of the machine above and substantially in alignment with the intermediate binding wire W, to support the upper portion of the second wire bending unit.

As shown in FIGURE 6, and more clearly in FIG- URES 7 and 8, the body member 88 of the wire bending unit is adjustably clamped to the outer end of cantilever member 82 by a clamp plate 90 and screws 92, and has attached at opposite sides adjacent its lower end a pair of short downwardly projecting legs 94 and 96 (FIGURE 8). A short rearwardly projecting horizontal arm 98 is secured to the outer face of the upper end of the short leg 94 and is provided with a pair of verti cal holes lined with bearing sleeves 100 in which is slidably received a pair of elongated rods 102 which carry at their lower ends a horizontal shoe member 104. Encircling the rods 102 and interposed between the upper surface of shoe member 104 and the undersurface of horizontal arm 98 is a pair of compression springs 106.- To limit the downward movement of the rods 102 by the springs 106 and maintain the undersurface of shoe member 104 normally at the desired height above the work,

a split yoke clamp 108 is adjustably clamped about the upper end of rods 102 by a clamp screw 110 and engages the upper face of the horizontal arm 98.

A generally rectangular body member 112 positioned between the aforementioned short legs 94 and 96 (FIG- URE 8) is pivotally mounted on a bolt 114 supported in the lower end of said legs and has in its lower left-hand end a slot 116 which gives the body member a fork-like shape. The upper fork portion rotatably supports at its inner face adjacent its outer end a roller 113, while the lower fork portion has at its outer end a bending member 120 fastened thereto by screws 122.

The oblique lower face of bending member 120 is normally positioned slightly above and in parallel relation with the wire end W at the trailing edge C of the rear side section C of the box blank by a stop block 124 on vertical leg 94, which engages a stop screw 126 adjustably threaded through a flange 130 projecting outwardly from the face of body member 112, with stop screw 126 being held in adjusted position by a lock nut 128. The body member 112 is yieldably held in extreme counterclockwise position against the stop block-124, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 7, by a tension spring 132 whose lower end is hooked through a stud 134 threaded in the edge of body member 112 near its upper corner, While its upper end is hooked through a stud 136 threaded in the upper right-hand face of body member 88, as viewed in FIGURE 7.

As illustrated and described in United States Patents Nos. 1,933,031 and 2,161,200 mentioned hereinbefore, during a loop fastener forming cycle of the machine, a vertical reciprocating movement is imparted to the table 76 and therefore to the aforementioned mechanism mounted thereon. As cantilever member 82 descends, the shoe member 104 of the presser unit shown generally at 97 is yieldingly urged against the upper surface of the work, while the bending member 120 of the body member 112 engages the wire end W bending it downwardly until the roller 118 contacts the upper surface of the face board V. As the roller 118 rolls along the face board, body member 112 is caused to rotate in clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow N in FIGURE 7, causing the slot to move about the edge C of face board V. As the body member 112 assumes a horizontal position, as indicated by broken lines P, it is permitted to move forwardly as indicated by arrow R in FIGURE 7, causing bending member 120 to continue the bending of wire end W under and adjacent the undersurface of the face board V toa position similar to that of the wire end W as described hereinbefore and shown in FIGURE 5.

As also disclosed in the aforementioned patents, two cross bars 138 and 14-0 (shown in FIGURE 6), respectively positioned at the front and rear sides of the loop fastener machine, are reciprocated vertically during each loop forming cycle. Adjustably mounted on front or right-hand cross bar 138, as viewed in FIGURE 6, is a bracket 142 having adjustably threaded into its lower end a rod 146 fastened to and projecting upwardly from the top face of a block 14% carrying at its bottom face a shoe member 150 with an upwardly angled projecting portion facing the oncoming box blanks.

This assembly functions as a hammer, which cooperates, in the clinching of the wire end W with an anvil assembly including a surface-hardened clinch plate 152 having attached thereto and projecting downwardly therefrom a pair of clamp blocks 154 which are spaced apart to receive slidably between them a channel 156 (FIG- URE The channel 156 extends longitudinally of the machine in alignment with the intermediate binding wire W and its ends are adjustably supported upon cross members 158 (FIGURE 6) at the front and rear sides of the table 76.

As indicated by arrows S and T in FIGURE 9, the anvil assembly moves downwardly with the table 76 (FIG- URE 6) while the hammer assembly above moves downwardly with the cross bar 138 at a later point in the loop forming cycle of the machine. However, the downward movement of the hammer assembly is sufficiently greater than that of the anvil assembly that the shoe member 150 is brought forcibly down against the upper surface of the work resting upon the clinch plate 152, as shown by broken lines U in FIGURE 9 and by full lines in FIG- URE 10. Thus, the wire end W at the leading end A of the box blank is clinched against and partially embedded in the undersurface of face board V, as shown in FIGURE 11.

Referring again to FIGURE 6, the left-hand cross bar of the loop fastener machine has adjustably clamped thereon and extending rearwardly therefrom a cantilever member 160. Clamped about cantilever member 160 is a bracket 144 which may be adjusted longitudinally therealong to various positions in accordance :with the different lengths of the box blanks being operated upon. The bracket 144 supports at its lower end a hammer assembly similar to that on bracket 142, as previously described, which cooperates in similar fashion with an anvil unit 162 to clinch the wire end W at the trailing edge C of the rear side section C of the box blank, and at least partially embed it in the undersurface of face board V.

The sequence of operations of the several units described upon the wire ends W and W of the leading and trailing ends, respectively, of the intermediate binding wire W is as follows: As shown in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4, the wire end W at the leading edge A of the front side section A of the box blanks is operated upon by the first wire bending unit at the outfeed side of the stapling machine (FIGURE 2), the wire end W being bent around the edge of the face board V and adjacent its undersurface. The moving box blank next enters the loop fast ner machine (FIGURE 6) and is momentarily stopped at the loop forming station, at which the leading edge A of the front side section A rests upon clinch plate 152, while the trailing edge C of the rear side section C rests upon support member 72. During the brief interruption of the linear travel of the work, first the table 76 and then the cross bars 138 and 140 are driven downwardly to cause the aforementioned mechanisms to bend the wire end W at the trailing edge C of rear side section C about the edge of the face board V to a position similar to that of wire end W (FIGURE 5). Simultaneously, wire end W at the leading edge A of front side section A is clinched against and embedded in the undersurface of the face board V by the hammering action of foot plate against clinch plate 152, while wire end W at the trailing edge C of the rear side section C of the preceding box blank is similarly clinched against and embedded in the undersurface of the face board by the hammer assembly on bracket 144 and the anvil assembly 162. These latter operations are performed automatically at the same time the outside binding wires E (FIGURE 1) are bent, driven and clinched to form loop fasteners E (FIGURE 1).

It will thus be understood that the present invention provides practical mechanism which can be incorporated in conventional wirebound box-making machines without substantial modification thereof and which is capable of accomplishing the desirable objectives discussed hereinabove. However, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of the invention described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings is intended as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and not as restrictive of the scope thereof, which is limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In wirebound box-making machines of the type in which properly assembled cleats and face material are conveyed through a stapling mechanism which drives staples astride longitudinally binding wires through said face material and into said cleats to form a succession of box blanks each consisting of four sections foldably secured together by said binding wires, and said succession of box blanks is conveyed to a loop-forming mechanism which severs said binding wires in the intervals between adjacent box blanks in said succession and forms the resulting end portions of said binding wires into loop fasteners at each end of said box blanks, the combination therewith of mechanism for clinching the ends of a discontinuous intermediate binding wire which extends longitudinally of each of said box blanks for the length of three contiguous sections thereof and projects beyond the leading and trailing edges of said three sections, said mechanism comprising a first wire-bending member mounted in line with said intermediate binding wire for hooking engagement with the top of the projecting portion of the leading end of said intermediate binding wire, said first wire-bending member being mounted for limited downward movement past the leading edge of the face material on said three sections, whereby as said leading edge passes said first wire-bending member, said intermediate binding wire is bent downwardly around said leading edge and rearwardly adjacent the under surface of said face material, a second wire-bending member mounted in line with said intermediate binding wire adjacent the position of the trailing edge of said three sections of a box blank in loop-forming position in said loop-forming mechanism, said second wire-bending member being mounted for movement downwardly against the top of the projecting portion of the trailing end of said intermediate binding wire, and around the trailing edge of said box sections to bend said intermediate binding Wire around said trailing edge and adjacent the under surface of said face material, support members engaging the under surface of said face material adjacent said first and second wire-bending members to support said face material during bending of said intermediate binding wire, and means for causing movement of said first and second wire-bending members as described.

2. The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said first wire-bending member is pivotally mounted adjacent said stapling mechanism and extends upwardly from such pivot across the path of the leading edges of said three sections as the box blanks issue from the stapling mechanism, the movement of the box blanks against said first wire-bending member providing the motive power for movement of said first wire-bending member in the manner described.

3. The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said second wire bending element is pivotally mounted on a vertically movable table in said loop-forming mechanism for vertical movement therewith, and supporting means is provided to support the trailing edge of said three sections of the box blank against vertical movement, whereby the end portion of said second loop-bending member is caused to engage said trailing edge during downward movement, imparting pivotal movement to said second wire-bending member to cause it to bend the projecting portion of said intermediate binding wire first downwardly and then forwardly under said face material.

4. The invention as recited in claim 3 wherein the outer ends of said second wire-bending member is generally fork-shaped with its two fork portions being spaced apart vertically, the upper fork portion being adapted to engage the upper surface of the trailing end of said three box sections to impart rotary motion to said second wire-bending member, causing said trailing end to pass between the upper and lower fork portions with the lower fork portion bending the projecting portion of said intermediate binding wire first downwardly and forwardly around said trailing end and finally upwardly against the under surface of said face material.

5. In wirebound box-making machines of the type in which properly assembled cleats and face material are conveyed through a stapling mechanism which drives staples astride longitudinally binding wires through said face material and into said cleats to form a succession of box blanks each consisting of four sections folda-bly secured together by said binding wires, and said succession of box blanks is conveyed to a loop-forming mechanism which severs said binding wires in the intervals between adjacent box blanks in said succession and forms the resulting end portions of said binding wires into loop fasteners at each end of said box blanks, the combination therewith of mechanism for clinching the ends of a discontinuous intermediate binding wire which extends longitudinally of each of said box blanks for the length of three contiguous sections thereof and projects beyond the leading and trailing edges of said three sections, said mechanism comprising a first wire-bending member mounted in line with said intermediate binding Wire for booking engagement with the top of the projecting portion of the leading end of said intermediate binding wire, said first wire-bending member being mounted for limited downward movement past the leading edge of the face material on said three sections, whereby as said leading edge passes said first wire-bending member, said intermediate binding wire is bent downwardly around said leading edge and rearwardly adjacent the under surface of said face material, a second wire-bending member mounted in line with said intermediate binding wire adjacent the position of the trailing edge of said three sections of a box blank in loop-forming position in said loopforming mechanism, said second wire-bending member being mounted for movement downwardly against the top of the projecting portion of the trailing end of said intermediate binding wire, and around the trailing edge of said box sections to bend said intermediate binding wire around said trailing edge and adjacent the under surface of said face material, support members engaging the under surface of said face material adjacent said first and second wire-bending members to support said face material during bending of said intermediate binding wire, means for causing movement of said first and second wire-bending members as described, and an anvil and a hammer positioned at opposite sides of said intermediate binding wire at the leading edge of said three box sections of a box blank in loop-forming position in said loop-forming mechanism, means for causing movement of said hammer toward said anvil to clinch the end of said binding wire firmly against the under surface of said face material and embed it at least partially into said face material.

6. The invention as recited in claim 5 wherein said hammer is attached to and driven by an overhead bar in said loop-forming mechanism which is driven downwardly during each operating cycle of said mechanism.

7. In wirebound box-making machines of the type in which properly assembled cleats and face material are conveyed through a stapling mechanism which drives staples astride longitudinally binding wires through said face material and into said cleats to form a succession of box blanks each, consisting of four sections foldably secured together by said binding wires, and said succession of box blanks is conveyed to a loop-forming mechanism which severs said binding wires in the intervals between adjacent box blanks in said succession and forms the resulting end portions of said binding wires into loop fasteners at each end of said box blanks, the combination therewith of mechanism for clinching the ends of a discontinuous intermediate binding wire which extends longitudinally of each of said box blanks for the length of three contiguous sections thereof and projects beyond the leading and trailing edges of said three sections, said mechanism comprising a first wire-bending member mounted in line with said intermediate binding wire for hooking engagement with the top of the projecting portion of the leading end of said intermediate binding wire, said first wire-bending member being mounted for limited downward movement past the leading edge of the face material on said three sections, whereby as said leading edge passes said first wire-bending member, said intermediate binding wire is bent downwardly around said leading edge and rearwardly adjacent the under surface of said face material, said first wire-bending member being pivotally mounted adjacent said stapling mechanism and extending upwardly from such pivot across the path of the leading edge of said three sections as the box blanks issue from the stapling mechanism, the movement of the box blanks against said first wire-bending member providing the motive power for movement of said first wirebending member in the manner described, a support member engaging the under surface of said face material adjacent said first wire-bending member to support said face material during bending of said intermediate binding wire, a second wire-bending member mounted in line with said intermediate binding wire adjacent the position of the trailing edge of said three sections of a box blank in loop-forming position in said loop-forming mechanism, said second wire-bending member being mounted for movement downwardly against the top of the projecting portion of the trailing end of said intermediate binding wire, and around the trailing edge of said box sections to bend said intermediate binding wire around said trailing edge and adjacent the under surface of said face material, said second wire bending element being pivotally mounted on a vertically movable table in said loop-forming mechanism for vertical movement therewith, and supporting means being provided to support the trailing edge of said three sections of the box blank against vertical movement, whereby the end portion of said second loop-bend ing member is caused to engage said trailing edge during downward movement, imparting pivotal movement to said second wire-bending member to cause it to bend the projecting portion of said intermediate binding wire first downwardly and then forwardly under said face material, an anvil and a hammer positioned at opposite sides of intermediate binding wire at the leading edge of said three box sections of a box blank in loop-forming position in said loop-forming mechanism, means for causing movement of said hammer toward said anvil to clinch the end of said binding wire firmly against the under surface of said face material and embed it at least partially into said face material, and said hammer being attached to and driven by an overhead bar in said loop forming mechanism which is driven downwardly during each operating cycle of said mechanism,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,933,031 10/1933 Rosenmund 140-93 2,131,971 10/1938 Rosenmund 140-93 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN WIREBOUND BOX-MAKING MACHINES OF THE TUPE IN WHICH PROPERLY ASSEMBLED CLEATS AND FACE MATERIAL ARE CONVEYED THROUGH A STAPLING MECHANISM WHICH DRIVES STAPLES ASTRIDE LONGITUDINALLY BINDING WIRES THROUGH SAID FACE MATERIAL AND INTO SAID CLEATS TO FORM A SUCCESSION OF BOX BLANKS EACH CONSISTING OF FOUR SECTIONS FOLDABLY SECURED TOGETHER BY SAID BINDING WIRES, AND SAID SUCCESSION OF BOX BLANKS IS CONVEYED TO A LOOP-FORMING MECHANISM WHICH SEVERS SAID BINDING WIRES IN THE INTERVALS BETWEEN ADJACENT BOX BLANKS IN SAID SUCCESSION AND FORMS THE RESULTING END PORTIONS OF SAID BINDING WIRES INTO LOOP FASTENERS AT EACH END OF SAID BOX BLANKS, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF MECHANISM FOR CLINCHING THE ENDS OF A DISCONTINUOUS INTERMEDIATE BINDING WIRE WHICH EXTENDS LONGITUDINALLY OF EACH OF SAID BOX BLANKS FOR THE LENGTH OF THREE CONTIGUOUS SECTIONS THEREOF AND PROJECTS BEYOND THE LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES OF SAID THREE SECTIONS, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING A FIRST WIRE-BENDING MEMBER MOUNTED IN LINE WITH SAID INTERMEDIATE BINDING WIRE FOR HOOKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TOP OF THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE LEADING END OF SAID INTERMEDIATE BINDING WIRE, SAID FIRST WIRE-BENDING MEMBER BEING MOUNTED FOR LIMITED DOWNWARD MOVEMENT PAST THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FACE MATERIAL ON SAID THREE SECTIONS, WHEREBY AS SAID LEADING EDGE PASSES SAID FIRST WIRE-BENDING MEMBER, SAID INTERMEDIATE BINDING WIRE IS BENT DOWNWARDLY AROUND SAID LEADING 